Spanish nativity scene | Catholic Christmas statuary

The nativities scenes, also known as the Christmas Crib, is one of the typical accesories to decorate homes, gardens or Catholic Churches during Christmas. In this post we will talk about the origin of this Catholic tradition, focusing on the figure of Saint Francis of Assisi, and the figurines of animals and characters that usually appear in the most classic distributions of Christmas nativity scenes.

• 1. Spanish nativity scene | Catholic Christmas statuary sets 2024
• 2. Saint Francis begins nativity scene tradition
• 3. Nativity scenes arrive in Spain
• 4. The Prince´s nativity set
• 5. The Nativity sets in 2024
• 6. Nativity scenes traditional characters
• 7. Baby Jesus statues
• 8. The Virgin Mary, the mother of God
• 9. Saint Joseph, the love of a father
• 10. The ox and the donkey (or the mule), the animals statues
• 11. The pastors
• 12. The fisherman
• 13. The washing woman
• 14. The three wise men statues
• 15. The Angel of the stable of Bethlehem

Spanish nativity scene | Catholic Christmas statuary sets 2024

The nativity scenes or nativity sets is one of the most popular traditions around the world. Many people celebrate Christmas by placing religious Christmas figures in their home or church.

A Christmas nativity scene with the Holy Family (the newborn Baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph), the ox and the mule is a beautiful way to commemorate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Today there is a wide variety of figures and decorations to set up a nativity scene . From handmade and hand-painted figures at a high price, to cheap-priced mass-produced pieces. Large pieces for installation in a church or town hall square, but smaller sizes are also sold for a table at home. Figures made at home as crafts to pieces ordered in an online store located in a city on the other side of the world. Images of Bethlehem to the taste of any buyer. Also, of course, there are those who opt for articulated pieces or create a living Nativity scene with their neighbors, friends or family.

Setting up a Christmas crib, a Bethlehem, is a custom with many centuries of history. Remains of primitive nativity scenes dating from the first centuries of the Christian era have been found in Roman catacombs or in churches and other places related to religious worship.

Saint Francis begins nativity scene tradition

Despite the discovery of some primitive portal, the majority of the nativity scene world agrees in indicating the year 1223 as the official date of the birth of modern nativity scenes as we now know them .

It is in this year, during Christmas Eve, when Saint Francis of Assisi (considered the first nativity scene and patron saint of all nativity scene associations) gives life to the first nativity scene in the world. The Saint builds a reproduction of the Birth of Jesus in an open cave near the hermitage of Greccio located in the Neapolitan kingdom at the time (near the city of Terni in present-day Italy). Creating on that day what is considered the first portal of Bethlehem (Birth) in history. It can be said that he invented the basic definition of the modern Bethlehem: the Christ Child accompanied by his family in a manger, visited by the Three Kings and townspeople who come to worship him.

As is known, Saint Francis of Assisi celebrated a night mass accompanied by a representation of the nativity scene , through a manger (without a child) with the ox and the mule, based on the Christian tradition, the apocryphal Gospels and the reading of Isaiah. .

After celebrating mass, Saint Francis sings the Gospel and preaches about the birth of the Messiah   full of meaning. The Italian Saint speaks of the little Jesus Christ who was born in the most absolute poverty. The humble couple of young parents had taken refuge in that old manger. The Virgin Mary gave birth on a cold winter night in one of the portals of Bethlehem. The only warmth the family had was the breath of the animals that waited there at dawn.

Such representation is loaded with religious meanings. That Christmas Eve has a great impact among those present. The humility and love that the Saint's words gave off deeply penetrated the listeners. The words serve to draw people's attention to the birth tradition. The characters that are part of the nativity scenes begin to achieve great popularity. The Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph were already known in all social strata. Secondary characters such as the Three Wise Men, the Angel, the little shepherds, etc... begin to be on everyone's lips. A great reform is introduced in the celebration of Christmas.

It is from the fourteenth century, (fundamentally through the Franciscan orders) the assembly Nativity scenes with religious images was consolidated as a custom in the Italian peninsula and spread to the rest of Europe. The Italian language and Latin serve as the main means of dissemination.

At first as an ecclesiastical practice, later aristocratic and finally popular. The most knowledgeable social strata of the cultured language, Latin, are the first to know the ancient teachings of Saint Francis of Assisi . In these years the materials used for the nativity scenes were religious figures made of cloth, cotton, wood or paper.

Nativity scenes arrive in Spain

The relationship between the different kingdoms that formed part of the Spanish territory and the Italian territory was very intense throughout the Middle Ages. The Crown of Aragon, under the mandate of Ferdinand the Catholic, controlled an important area in the south of the Italian peninsula: Neapolitan, Sicilian territory, etc. In these circumstances it is not surprising that the cultural exchange between both territories was very fluid. An open communication in which both parties mutually benefit. Like many other artistic currents, the tradition of religious images of Nativity scenes arrived in Spain throughout the s. XV through, of course, Franciscan orders.

Throughout the s. XV, XVI and XVII the implantation of the nativity scene tradition was testimonial and we will have to wait until the s. XVIII, with the reign of Carlos III (1716-1788), so that the nativity scenes spread throughout the Spanish geography.

In the year 1760, the monarch had an artisan nativity scene made for his son, Carlos IV, which would achieve great fame at the time: El Nativity Scene of the Prince . The famous Nativity Scene was commissioned from the best Valencian image makers José Esteve Bonet and José Ginés Marín, as well as Francisco Salzillo from Murcia. The three of them began to shape, step by step, what is considered one of the best Spanish Christmas prints.

The artisan work supposes a great reform in the way in which the nativity scenes were made until the time.

The Prince´s nativity set

The original commission of the monarch makes the creative minds and hands of the artisans give themselves to the work with enthusiasm. The image makers take their previous works as a guide but try to do something innovative. Thinking of traditional manufacturing, they want to experiment with new techniques and materials, giving new solutions to frequent problems that arose in the design and assembly process.

The ideas of nativity scene artisans are reflected in various novelties. The first one is that the figures are made in different sizes in order to keep the perspective in the different compositions. Each character has a certain height, something revolutionary at the time. They take into account the place from which the birth will be contemplated to place the different figures. A new concept that distribution of space very much to the taste of the current of the time. The new distribution, the vision of truth from a perspective, will generate many questions and surprises, but it will finally be recognized as a great work of Nativity art. The crafts and old rustic pieces serve as a guide, but the figures that will be delivered to the monarch and the prince represent a great innovation.

Another of the distinctive features of this Nativity Scene of the Prince is that each handcrafted piece reproduces one of the trades of the time: dancers, the mayor and mayor, the one who played the dulzaina (called dulzainero), the foremen, the shepherd in his house, the food vendor, someone buying tomatoes, a peasant with garlic, a fisherman with a net, vendors with his donkey, etc... In this sense, the 180 figures of about 50 cm stand out. modeled by the Valencian image maker José Esteve Bonet in which he represents the trades and customs close to his Valencian home. Some pieces that are a kind of tribute to the Valencian people, the stories and cases of their neighbors are immortalized in the nativity scenes.

The pieces and decorations of the Nativity Scene of the Prince achieved great popularity. In addition to being an important artistic work for the nativity scene, it was also helped by the fact that the monarch decreed that the whole town could see it. This important decision makes the passage of people through the palace continuous. Nobody wants to miss. While the snow covered the streets of Madrid, the residents of the town visited the palace to see the birth of the Child God.

From the s. XVIII to the beginning of the s. XX, the A visit to the Royal Palace to see the Nativity Scene figurines of the Prince became one of the most deeply rooted Christmas traditions in Madrid.

Throughout its existence, the Belén del Príncipe suffered numerous looting and break-ups. Especially bloody were the years 1808 (during the War of Independence) and in the year 1872. Many decorations and Nativity scene elements were stolen.

During the First Republic it was 7 years without being exposed, since it was considered a symbol of the Monarchy. With the restoration of the Monarchy, the Bethlehem is restored. Free access to see the Crib is again eliminated with the proclamation of the Second Republic, in 1931.

Then, in subsequent years, the religious figures that were still preserved were kept and forgotten in the attic of the Royal Palace until 1988. In that year, while an archive is being reviewed and inventoried, pieces of again return to public life.

Nowadays, 80 figures of the thousands of figures that formed the complete Nativity Scene of the Prince are preserved. The passage of time has not been kind to this piece of ancient religious art. Of the figures or scenes that are still preserved from the original work, we can detail: the group of the Mystery of Saint Joseph, the Virgin and the Child; the annunciation to the shepherds; a group of Angels made of polychrome wood; the cavalcade of the Magi; different exotic animals like camels and elephants and some other character.

The Nativity sets in 2024

Nativity scenes have undergone a great evolution over the last centuries. Changes have occurred in all aspects related to the pieces that fill homes, parishes, schools,... during the Christmas celebrations.

The manufacturing process of both nativity scenes and Easter decorations ( Christmas balls , Star of Bethlehem, Christmas accesories, ...), as well as other religious figures and images, has undergone powerful changes linked to industrialization. It is increasingly difficult to find characters and animals made by hand . The methods and materials used in chain manufacturing are mostly used today. Plastic figures, plaster,... are the ones that sellers offer the most despite not having great detail finishes.

The nativity scenes that use an artisan manufacturing process with a seal of authenticity are very rare. Within this group are the spanish workshops, such as Christian Art . Factory of figures and religious images in general and pieces for nativity scenes in particular. Figurines made in Spatin are still made following the same craft technique that was used at the end of the 19th century. It is a very delicate process in which pulpwood figures are made with great detail finishes. Of such realism that they seem taken from a living Nativity.

There is a wide variety of nativity scenes made in Spain : animals such as lambs, Saint Joseph or Saint Mary,... Within the wide variety, the spanish Child Jesus statue is especially well-known, a statue that has played a major role in churches and homes during the last 100 years.

Nativity scenes traditional characters

The characters, pieces, accesories and objects linked to nativity scenes have also undergone a great evolution since the 13th century. Currently the variety of portals, characters, food, shepherds, animals,... is almost infinite. The small artificial world represented by a nativity scene is a game full of meanings, a miniature universe that recreates the life and customs of the time when the Son of God came into the world.

Although the variety of ideas to make a nativity scene is unlimited, there are still a series of figures that are present when making a nativity scene for Christmas: the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, the ox and the donkey, the shepherds, the fisherman, the laundress, the Three Wise Men and the Angel.

The Holy Family, the donkey and the ox, which is known as the Christmas (or Easter) Mystery , are the central figures.

Baby Jesus statues

The Child piece, newborn Jesus in swaddling clothes with a golden halo on his head, is one of the most recognizable Easter figures anywhere in the world. The Birth of Jesus Christ marks the beginning of a new year, the beginning of a new era full of hopes and dreams, joys and stories.

The figure of the Child Jesus represents the joy of Catholics, the beginning of the hope of salvation, the opening of the gates of Heaven. The Child Jesus is the heart of a birth. Every year it returns to our homes and parishes to fill the hearts of children and adults with happiness.

On occasions, some Brabander client, due to lack of space, has only placed the statue of the Child Jesus in his crib for Christmas.

The Virgin Mary, the mother of God

The Virgin Mary is the mother of Jesus, a key part of any Nativity scene. Mary represents purity, kindness and love. Our Holy Mother will always protect us as she protected her Son.

Mary's love is an unbreakable link that has remained unchanged to this day. Holy Mary pray for all of us from Heaven. Our Lady turns her gaze towards her boys and girls to protect them under her mantle.

On numerous occasions in the Virgin Mary figures , she is represented seated, wrapping the Child Jesus. Symbol of maternal love and protection that the Virgin Mary offers to all Christians in the world.

Saint Joseph, the love of a father

Saint Joseph is the earthly father of the Child Jesus. He is a very smart, kind, strong and brave human being. He is an exemplary husband and a great father.

After marrying Maria, he lives a happy life with his wife. Saint Joseph's love for his wife and faith was put to the test at the beginning of the Virgin Mary's pregnancy. The happiness that he felt in the couple is broken when he finds out about his wife's pregnancy. At that moment he thinks of abandoning his pregnant wife. While he sleeps, when he had everything ready for his departure, God sends an Angel to tell Saint Joseph that he should love his wife above all things. In the womb of Mary the Savior of the World will gestate. From that day on he always acted according to the advice received from the Angel.

Saint Joseph is usually represented in three main ways: as a piece for a Christmas Nativity scene, as a carpenter or standing with his cane accompanied by the Child Jesus.

We celebrate the day of San José on March 19 and the day of San José worker, the day of the worker, on May 1. He is very popular throughout the world and Patron of the Universal Church. Pope Francis is a great devotee of Saint Joseph.

The ox and the donkey (or the mule), the animals statues

There is a great variety of animals that are usually placed in nativity scenes and births. Despite this, there are two that are more closely related to the cribs, the ox and the mule (or donkey).

The two figures have been subjected to numerous analyzes in search of deep meanings and interpretations of all kinds. These animals are usually considered as a symbol of humility and poverty, since they were the only sources that the Savior had at his birth.

Without wanting to delve into these symbolic interpretations, the mule and the ox are very popular pieces that are usually bought with the figures of the Holy Family . Both pieces are normally depicted lying down and are usually located around the cradle of the Child Jesus.

The pastors

The shepherds are another of the figures that are usually always present at Christmas. The vendors of nativity scenes have figures of all kinds: with a lamb on their shoulders, with a flock of sheep, with a cane,...

Traditionally, the shepherd has been linked in a symbolic way with humanity. Even with the poorest and humblest part of the population. Cattle herders, cowboys, swineherds, sheepherders or goatherds have always been workers who have earned a very precarious living, having just enough to survive.

It is perhaps for this reason that God chooses these humble people to first make known the good news of the birth of Jesus. An Angel is sent to announce to the shepherds that a savior has been born in a doorway in Bethlehem, who is the Lord Christ.

In addition, it is important to remember that Jesus is usually identified with the Good Shepherd and the entire Christian community as his flock. "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11).

The fisherman

A river with its bridge is one of the geographical features that usually accompany the Portal de Belén. The use of silver paper or blue plastic bags has been a very popular resource to give a different touch to nativity scenes both in homes and in parishes.

And, if there is a river, there almost necessarily has to be a fisherman or fishermen. A humble profession that has always been closely linked in a symbolic way to the life of Christ. In fact, some of his Apostles were fishermen before they met the Messiah.

In the Bible, in the Gospel of Saint Matthew 4:18-22 you can read:

Walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers: Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, who were casting a hand net into the sea, for they were fishermen. He told them: - Come with me and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left the nets and followed him.

Passing ahead he saw two other brothers: James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were in the boat preparing the nets, with Zebedee, their father. Jesus called them. They immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.

Saint Andrew, Saint Peter (the first Pope), James Zebedee (also known as James the Greater), and Saint John the Apostle were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee before they received the call of the Savior.

The washing woman

The figure of the laundress is one of the fundamental pieces in the representations of the Birth of Christ. The laundress is associated with the midwife, the lady who helped women in labor to give birth in those times. This association derives from the fact that it was customary for the midwife to be in charge of washing the clothes with which the mother was covered during childbirth and the child once born.

The washerwoman is usually placed near the river, especially if the figure is kneeling or sitting.

The three wise men statues

The Three Wise Men and their entourage are classic figures of Nativity scenes. They can be represented in many ways: mounted on horseback, mounted on camels, with pages, standing or kneeling in front of the Child Jesus,...

According to tradition, there were three Wise Men: Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar. The Magi came from the Eastern territories and arrived in Bethlehem following the star of Bethlehem to pay homage to the one who had been announced as the future king of the Jews, Jesus of Nazareth. Each of the Three Wise Men carried a gift for the Child Jesus: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The gifts they carried are mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew.

After a long journey following the Star of Bethlehem, the Three Kings of the East arrive at the palace of Herod the Great, ruler of Judea. The Magi asked him about the birth of the future king of the Jews. Herod, fearing for his throne, told them that he did not know the exact birthplace of the Messiah but that he would like to go and worship him. The Magi, not realizing that Herod's intentions were dishonest, promised to return to his palace to tell him the exact place where Jesus was with his parents.

The Three Wise Men continued their journey and soon found the manger in Bethlehem where the son of God had been born. After worshiping Jesus and delivering the offerings they had brought, they decided to return to Herod's palace to give him the good news of Jesus' birth. An Angel warned them of Herod's bad intentions, he intended to kill the child to keep his throne. The Magi were grateful for the indications and advice of the Angel, and returned to their homes in the East without visiting Herod. When he found out, sick with rage at what had happened, he ordered the killing of all newborns in the kingdom, in what is known as the massacre of the innocents. Saint Joseph, warned by an Angel, had fled to Egypt with his wife and newborn son.

• Melchior

Melchor is, of the three, the oldest. It is represented as an old person with completely white hair and beard. He usually wears a crown for his status as king. At the time of the Savior's birth, only three continents were known: Europe, Asia, and Africa. Some historians believe that it represents all the men and women of the European continent.

Melchor brings gold as a gift for the Child Jesus . Gold is a symbol traditionally associated with royalty and power. A gift that used to be given to kings, queens, princes or princesses. With the gift of gold, Melchor recognizes Jesus as the authentic and only sovereign of the Jews.

• Gaspar

Gaspar is the Wizard King placed second in terms of age. Gaspar's figure wears a crown, and brown or red hair and beard. According to some studies, Gaspar would be the personification of the Asian peoples who came to worship the Child Jesus in his manger.

Gaspar carries incense as a gift for Messiah. Frankincense, the smoke that is released from the incense as it burns, is connected to the divine component of the Catholic religion. Already at that time, incense was offered to many pagan gods as a symbol of respect. The incense identifies Jesus as the son of almighty God. It also serves as a link between the prayers of the faithful and the Kingdom of Heaven. The prayers and praises of Christians rise to Heaven like the smoke of incense.

• Basaltar

Baltasar is the youngest of the three. He is a black man who wears a crown as a symbol of his royalty. He is the only one of the Magi who does not have a beard. Some scholars believe that Baltasar represents the people of Africa.

Baltasar myrrh as a gift for Jesus. Myrrh is the gift that identifies the Nazarene as a human being of flesh and blood, as the Son of Man. Myrrh is a substance that is extracted from a tree. Due to its strong smell, it was used in numerous cultures as an ingredient to make ointments with which to embalm the deceased. Myrrh is a premonition of the suffering that Christ will suffer on the Cross, an announcement of his death. Jesus will give his mortal body for the forgiveness of the sins of all Catholics. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the door of salvation for the Christian people.

The Angel of the stable of Bethlehem

The Angel is the messenger of God, the interlocutor between our Almighty Lord and people who inhabit the earthly world.

The presence of an Angel in Christmas cribs is very common because it had a very prominent role during the events that will take Jesus to the small portal of Bethlehem.

In the first place, he is in charge of telling María that she is pregnant. The Angel Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary to tell her that the son of God will be born from her womb. This episode, recorded in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 1:26-37), is known as the Annunciation.

Shortly after, an Angel also appears to Saint Joseph in a dream. José had decided to abandon the Santa María after learning that she was pregnant. The Angel tells him that he must stay by his wife's side. The Virgin is an example of purity and you should not doubt her. The conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary is a divided design that had the intervention of the Holy Spirit. The Angel tells José that he must take care of his wife and the child that is on the way because they will be the King and Queen of Heaven and Earth.

The Angel also appears to warn the Three Wise Men of Herod's evil intentions.

Finally, the Angel warns Saint Joseph that he must leave Bethlehem and take refuge in Egypt. The passage is collected in the Gospel of Matthew 2:13-15. Saint Joseph receives the Angel's announcement and quickly picks up his family. He had to leave the square that had served him as a refuge. At that time, the monarch Herod had already given the order to kill all the newborns of the kingdom.

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